Supplemental draft has some prizes
By David Elfin
July 8, 2005
Every summer the NFL has a supplemental draft for players whose circumstances have changed since they declined to enter the annual April selection lottery. For every Bernie Kosar picked in July, there are a dozen never-weres. However, Thursday's supplemental draft boasts some serious talent that could cause teams to forfeit their picks in similar rounds in next April's draft.
The most coveted player available is former Southern Cal defensive tackle Manuel Wright, who visited Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Miami and Philadelphia last month. The 6-foot-6, 322-pounder certainly has the size, and he scored a decent 17 on the Wonderlic intelligence test given to all prospective draft picks.
Wright, who has been training hard in Colorado, will work out for NFL scouts today in Los Angeles. Former UNLV cornerback Charles Ealy, who starred against powerhouses Tennessee and Wisconsin last year, will follow Wright's session with one of his own in nearby Carson, Calif., today.
Former Clemson receiver Roscoe Crosby worked out in South Carolina on July 1 for nearly 20 teams, with Carolina, Chicago, Kansas City, Miami, New Orleans and the New York Giants reportedly the most interested. Because Crosby cramped up and had to cut his workout short, he plans a repeat session Tuesday, one day after that of running back Vashon Pearson, who led Mississippi in rushing last year. Former Michigan State receiver Agim Shabaj also has entered the supplemental draft.
Linebacker Michael Tolbert, who wrecked Texas A&M last fall and already has his degree from Baylor, also is eligible. So is ex-Toledo defensive end Jerome Walker and Ivory McCann, a cornerback/return man/running back from Texas Tech, who ran 40 yards in a blazing sub-4.4 seconds during his June 30 workout.
Ball State ballers -- David Letterman's network, CBS, will stop televising NFL games after this year. However, Letterman's alma mater, Ball State, strengthened its NFL ties when three Cardinals were drafted in the sixth round in April. It wasn't quite like Auburn having three players taken in the first round, but it was still special.
"That was great recognition for our school," said punter Reggie Hodges, who went 210th overall to St. Louis, rejoining Ball State receiver Dante Ridgeway (192nd) with the Rams, while safety Justin Beriault was chosen 208th by Dallas.
The Ball State alums were three of the 11 Mid-American Conference players picked, putting the conference eighth nationally. The SEC was first with 37 draftees, one more than the ACC. All but 26 of the 255 players chosen played in Division I-A. One Division III player, Michigan Tech offensive lineman Joe Berger; one NAIA player, William Penn tight end Andrew Stokes; and one junior college player, Pearl River Community College receiver Larry Brackins, were drafted.
Of the 31 players selected who weren't invited to the February scouting combine, only San Diego State linebacker Matt McCoy, who went to Philadelphia with the second to last pick of the second round, was taken on the draft's first day. By contrast, 107 players who were invited to the combine weren't drafted.
There were more linebackers (36) taken than any other position, with receivers (31) leading the way on offense. However, among the top 100, cornerback (18) was the top position, followed by linebacker (15). Just two punters, three kickers and five fullbacks were selected.
Largent's legacy -- As Seattle enters its 30th NFL season, former receiver Steve Largent remains its only Hall of Famer. Now the former Oklahoma congressman has given the Seahawks another legacy. His son, Kramer, has been assisting the team's trainers this offseason.
That's especially noteworthy because the younger Largent has spina bifida, a congenital opening or defect in the spinal column. The 19-year-old, who transferred from Seattle Pacific to his father's alma mater, Tulsa, hopes to become a full-time trainer.
Always a bridesmaid -- Buffalo is the only franchise to lose four straight Super Bowls, so it should have been no surprise Bills owner Ralph Wilson, 86, lost in the final of the 85-and-over doubles at the European Tennis Championships last month in Austria.
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